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Jeff Green has been dunking on people since entering the league in 2007. He has also been quite the journeyman, having played for 12 teams in his NBA career – that includes the then-Seattle SuperSonics – so it’s no surprise that he may dunk on former teammates every once in a while. That includes former Boston Celtics stretch-five Kelly Olynyk.
Green and Olynyk were teammates on the Celtics from 2013 to 2015, and Green admitted they had a close friendship during that time. Still, that didn’t stop Green from putting Olynyk on a poster when the two matched up against each other on Opening Night 2022.
In an interview with Ryen Russillo of The Ringer, Green talked about his relationship with Olynyk and what transpired after the former dunked on the latter during their first game of the season.
“One of my good friends is Kelly Olynyk. We bonded a lot when we were in Boston. In the first game, I didn’t even know it was him because when I jump, I just jump. I just see the rim. I don’t see nobody else. And after the game, he was like, ‘Damn, why’d you have to do me like that?’ And I’m like, ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ And he’s like, ‘That was me that you dunked on.’ I was like, ‘Oh shit, my apologies. Say sorry to your wife. Sorry it had to be you,'” Green said.
Green is in his second consecutive year with the Denver Nuggets. They are the first team to have him at the start of two consecutive seasons since the Celtics.
Green Talks About Dunking Reputation
Green talked about how long he’s been dunking in the league and how fun it still is even after playing in the NBA for a decade and a half.
“I’ve been doing it for a long time,” Green said. “When I do it, people are like, I never did it before, or they’re surprised, but it’s like I’ve been doing it for years. Six to eight years, you can pretty much say each year I’ve had over 10 dunks worth, like, goddamn. I don’t know why people still try to jump, but it’s fun. To me, it’s hilarious.”
Green also dunks as often as he does to remind people of how good he still is.
“For me, it’s a set reminder to tell people or people who are in and around the league that I can still play at a high level, but that’s been my staple now for the last couple of years.”
Celtics Were Interested in Reunion With Green and Olynyk
During the 2021 NBA Offseason, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe reported that the Celtics were interested in bringing back both Green and Olynyk, among others. Himmelsbach explained why they were interested in Green.
“According to a league source, the Celtics prefer to pursue a player with extensive experience and are focused on adding size and shooting, and forward Jeff Green is believed to be a primary target.”
Himmelsbach explained that Olynyk’s strong ties to Boston could have made him a viable option in free agency.
“Olynyk’s strong finish to last season after being traded to the Rockets could keep him out of the Celtics’ price range, but Olynyk loved his time in Boston and kept a home here after departing in 2017.”
While neither chose to reunite with the Celtics that summer, President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens has brought back several former Celtics since running the team, like Al Horford, Daniel Theis, Enes Kanter Freedom, and Joe Johnson.
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